Mark Sobcyzk and Associates has sold in excess of $200 million in Big Bear homes over the past 10 years making us one of Big Bear's premier real estate teams.

With more than 10 years of sales, marketing and advertising experience we formed the Sobczyk Group in 2002 and teamed up with First Team Real Estate to bring our brand of service and expertise to the business of residential real estate sales in Big Bear Lake.

Earning Top Producer status our first year in operation, we have won First Team's coveted Hall of Fame Award every year since 2003. By evolving with technology and ever changing market conditions, we continue to remain at the forefront of the fast moving real estate market.

With a focus on Big Bear Lake and Palm Springs, we are committed to being the most productive, innovative, strategic and service-driven residential real estate practices in the Big Bear Valley.

Please contact us so that we may ascertain how we can help you find your dream second home, home site or market your current residence. Whether you are a first time home buyer looking for that special property to call your own, or an experienced seller seeking to optimize your net, the Sobczyk Group is ready to meet your needs- and exceed your highest expectations.

Here’s a list of some of the basics—with a few secrets: Get rid of stuff. It can’t be said enough how important it is to declutter your home. Most people accumulate things like furniture, pictures, vases, vacation mementos and other knickknacks and then find places for them in the home, rather than taking something out. Most people don’t even really notice how much clutter they have because they have learned to live with it. But really, is there any better time to purge than when you move? Consider it a head start on packing. Depersonalize. Put away family photos, education degrees, children’s pictures, trophies, awards, collections. “Don’t mistake depersonalizing with removing personality,” Ferraro said. “You still want the place to have style and personality. You have to know your environment and what people will be looking for.” If you’re selling a high-rise in a large metropolitan city, buyers are going to be looking for clean, streamlined lines but not overly contemporary. On the flipside, if you’re selling in an older, well-heeled neighborhood, buyers will be expecting to see traditional furniture and artwork. Clean, clean, clean. If the three most important points to selling a home are location, location, location, the next three are sparkling, glittering clean. “People don’t want to walk into a dirty home that’s for sale in the same way that you don’t want to check into a hotel and find a bathroom that’s dirty with someone else’s shampoo in it,” Dazzo said. Update old and deteriorating spaces. You might not have to totally redo a 1980s kitchen, but you will want to put new hardware on cabinet doors, replace countertops and appliances, and fix what’s broken, peeling or worn out. The same is true in bathrooms where tiles might have mildew or light fixtures and cabinetry are outdated. Wallpaper is making a comeback in design books, but it’s not likely the stuff you put up three decades ago is still in style. “Buyers don’t want projects,” Dazzo said. Don’t forget to replace burnt-out light bulbs or missing knobs and pulls. Define spaces. Buyers don’t like to guess what rooms are used for what. Dining rooms need ceiling light fixtures to define them; sitting rooms are marked by comfy chairs and reading lamps; family rooms are set off with couches and, of course, a TV. Fill empty rooms. A vacant home is nothing more than an empty shell and buyers have very little imagination. “People aren’t good at visualizing or seeing beyond what’s in front of them,” Ferraro said. An empty room either looks too small or too overwhelmingly big for a buyer’s furniture. Create the space for them with rental furniture. Lighten up spaces. The most obvious way is by getting rid of heavy curtains, rugs and furniture, and painting the walls white or a lighter color. But here are some other tricks: add new light fixtures; clean windows, remove screens and take treatments down to let in natural light; never hide good views or scenery behind window treatments; put cream-colored placemats on dark-wood dining tables; use fresh, white towels in bathrooms (helps emphasize cleanliness with spa-like look); pull up carpets to expose hardwood floors. Open up indoor walkways. Even if the buyer is single, he or she is likely to bring an entourage with them when their inspecting the home, so be sure the hallways and walkways are big enough for three, even four people to be in at one time. “It’s OK to pull your furniture close together in the living room,” Ferraro said. “People aren’t going to walk into the